1 of the most controversial films ever, Natural Born Killers at 30 still shocks the senses
- Starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis as a pair of mass murderers, Oliver Stone’s 1994 movie has been implicated in a series of crimes
This is the latest instalment in our ongoing From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries.
Released 30 years ago this month, Natural Born Killers remains the most provocative film of Oliver Stone’s uncompromising career.
Rejected by its writer, decried by the media, even banned in some countries, his violent satire more than earned its place on Entertainment Weekly’s 2008 list of the 25 Most Controversial Movies Ever.
Based on a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, but heavily rewritten by David Veloz, producer Richard Rutowski and Stone himself, on the surface it is a familiar tale of lovers on the run.
We have seen it all before in films such as They Live by Night (1948) and True Romance (1993), another Tarantino original. But this time our heroes, Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis), are unrepentant mass murderers, and the film’s over-the-top aesthetic matches their excesses.
